Edge-reinforced inner spring for cushions

ABSTRACT

An inner spring unit for padded cushions, such as inner spring mattresses, which includes reinforcing springs for the edge or border wire frame members, but recessed to the unit within said frame members.

United States Patent [72] inventor Wendel E. Dreve, Jr.

1592 College Hill Drive. Columbus. Ohio 43221 [21] Appl. No. 18.520

[221 Filed Mar. 11, 1970 [45] Patented July 6, 1971 [54] EDGE-REINFORCED INNER SPRING FOR CUSHIONS 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52) US. Cl H 5/260, 5/351 51 Int. Cl ..A47c 23/04, A47c 25/00 Primary Examiner-Casmir A. Nunberg Attorney-Mahoney, Miller & Slebens ABSTRACT: An inner spring unit for padded cushions, such as inner spring mattresses, which includes reinforcing springs for the edge or border wire frame members, but recessed to the unit within said frame members.

PATENIEUJUL BIS?! 3.590.404

SHEET 1 or 2 IN v/ :N '1 (m WENDEL E. DREVE. JR.

BY-MAHONEY 8. MILLER ATTORNEYS PATENTED JUL 6 197i 3,590,404

SHEET- 2 or 2 3 I 3 i I3 i a i 1 I3 I 3 l I5 I4 14 I q 24 l I3 23 I3 [4a WENDEL E. DREVE. JR. BY-MAHONEY & MILLER 4 V M \W V 12 ATTORNEYS EDGE-RElNFORCED INNER SPRING FOR CUSHIONS My invention constitutes an improvement over the inner spring unit disclosed in the US. Pat. No. 2,709,819, to Wise, issued June 7, 1955.

Although the inner spring unit of such patent was reinforced by edge-reinforcing spring members, these members had certain advantages. Each reinforcing spring member of the patent had a pinch fit around the upper border wire which made a stable and hard place in the mattress. By stiffening one small area of the edge, more wear was received at this area which would eventually wear a hole in the mattress covering. Also, the edge did not have the desired degree of flexibility.

My present invention overcomes these disadvantages by having edge-reinforcing spring members which are recessed within the spring unit so as not to penetrate the mattress side wall covering even after extensive wear. These edge-reinforcing spring members are mainly of V-form and are in a plane parallel to the plane of the vertically spaced upper and lower wire frame members at each side of the mattress. Furthermore, they are recessed or inset in the frame unit inwardly of the frame members of the unit. The result is that although the edge is reinforced and will not break down, it still has the desired flexibility and there will be no penetration of the mattress cover.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated the best mode contemplated in carrying out my invention and in these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a mattress inner spring unit having the edge-reinforcing springs applied thereto.

F IG. 2 is an enlarged plan view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FlG. 3 is an edge view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the edge-reinforcing spring members.

The inner spring unit, shown by way of example, in its general structure is similar to that disclosed in said patent and includes upper and lower wire frame members 11 and 12 which extend completely around the border of the unit. In the case of an inner spring for a mattress, the wire frame members will be at the sides and ends. The upper and lower border frame members are normally in a common vertical plane. Double conical coil springs 13 are provided in transverse rows in contiguous relationship within the border frame members 11 and 12 and provide upper and lower faces for the mattress. The rows are tied together by helical binding wires 14 which extend completely across the unit between adjacent transverse rows of the springs. The coil springs 13 adjacent the wire frame members 11 and 12 are tied thereto by means of helical binding wires 15 extending along those members.

The edge-reinforcing spring members of my present invention are indicated generally by the numeral and are provided in cooperation with certain coil spring 13 adjacent the sides of the inner spring unit. Along each side of the spring unit all of the members 20 are disposed in a common vertical plane inset inwardly of and parallel to the respective normal vertical plane of the border wire frame members 11 and 12.

The resilient reinforcing spring members 20 are made from suitable spring steel wire and include a main section or body of V-form comprising the legs 21 joined at a coil 22 at the vertex.

The outer or divergent ends of the legs 21-are integrally joined to the securing arms 23 by reverse loops or U-bends 24. The arms 23 are thus normally in a vertical plane at a right angle to the plane of the legs 21.

in mounting the reinforcing spring members 20, they are disposed inwardly of the border frame wires 11 and 12 adjacent the respective coil springs 13. The arms 23 will be slipped inwardly within the outer open ends of the respective helical binding rows 14. The end 14a of each of such wires is provided with a hook 14 which is hooked around the extended loop or bend 24 to prevent outward or inward movement of the members 20 so that they will remain in a vertical plane inset relative to the normal vertical plane of the wires 11 and 12. Because of the double conical shape of the associated coil spring 13, there will be space at this inset position for the V- shaped body of the member 20 and because the body is spaced inwardly of the outer extremities of the arms 23, it will be inset relative to the normal plane of the frame wires 11 and 12.

Thus, the inset V-shaped reinforcing springs 20 will adequately support and reinforce the edge frame wires and especially the upper wire 11. However, it will still havesufficient flexibilityto make the mattress comfortable. There will be no danger of any V-spring body of a member 20 working through the sidewall of the cover of the mattress during flexing of the mattress because it is inset relative to the frame members. Also, no portion of a member 20 will extend around the respective frame wires 11 and 12 so as to cause wear at these points.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is: l. A spring unit for cushions or the like having upper and lower faces spaced apart by coil springs and including upper and lower wire frames at the edges thereof, and means for reinforcing the edges thereof, said means comprising:

reinforcing spring members inset within the wire frames and having spring portions in a vertical plane inset inwardly of the normal common vertical plane of said wire frames;

and .means for attaching said spring portions to said upper and lower wire frames.

2. A spring unit according to claim 1 in which said spring members each has a spring portion of V-form with legs joined at the vertex by a coil, said V-portion being in a plane parallel to the plane of said wire frame members and inset relative thereto, said attaching means connecting the divergent arms to the upper and lower wire frames.

3. A spring unit according to claim 3 in which said coil springs are disposed in transverse side-by-side rows and are tied together by helical wire ties and to adjacent wire frames by helical wires extending therealong, said attaching means for each spring portion of the reinforcing spring members comprising arms connected to the diverging ends of said V- I portion and extending inwardly at right angles to the plane thereof, said arms engaging with the helical wire ties between said coil springs.

4. A spring unit according to claim 3 in which said legs are connected to the arms by U-shaped loops to inset the V-portion inwardly of the outer extremities of the arms, the ends of the said helical wire ties being hooked around said reinforcing spring members at said loops to prevent outward and inward movement thereof. 

1. A spring unit for cushions or the like having upper and lower faces spaced apart by coil springs and including upper and lower wire frames at the edges thereof, and means for reinforcing the edges thereof, said means comprising: reinforcing spring members inset within the wire frames and having spring portions in a vertical plane inset inwardly of the normal common vertical plane of said wire frames; and means for attaching said spring portions to said upper and lower wire frames.
 2. A spring unit according to claim 1 in which said spring members each has a spring portion of V-form with legs joined at the vertex by a coil, said V-portion being in a plane parallel to the plane of said wire frame members and inset relative thereto, said attaching means connecting the divergent arms to the upper and lower wire frames.
 3. A spring unit according to claim 3 in which said coil springs are disposed in transverse side-by-side rows and are tied together by helical wire ties and to adjacent wire frames by helical wires extending therealong, said attaching means for each spring portion of the reinforcing spring members comprising arms connected to the diverging ends of said V-portion and extending inwardly at right angles to the plane thereof, said arms engaging with the helical wire ties between said coil springs.
 4. A spring unit according to claim 3 in which said legs are connected to the arms by U-shaped loops to inset the V-portion inwardly of the outer extremities of the arms, the ends of the said helical wire ties being hooked around said reinforcing spring members at said loops to prevent outward and inward movement thereof. 